Serbia

country in the NW Balkan Peninsula: formerly a kingdom and (1946–2003) a constituent republic of Yugoslavia and (2003–06) of Serbia and Montenegro: 34,116 sq mi (88,361 sq km); cap. Belgrade

Serbia

A republic of southeast Europe on the northern Balkan peninsula. Serbs settled the region in the 6th century and formed an independent kingdom in the 13th century. Dominated by the Ottoman Empire after 1389, Serbia did not regain its independence until 1878. The new kingdom of Serbia expanded its territory during the Balkan wars (1912-1913). After the assassination (1914) of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a Serbian nationalist, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, sparking World War I. In 1918 Serbia became a major constituent of the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, which was later (1929) renamed Yugoslavia. After the disintegration of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, Serbia remained united to Montenegro until 2006, when the two became separate republics.

Sentence Examples

On all sides Serbia was now regarded as the southern Slav Piedmont: and the Dual Monarchy's consistently hostile policy toward Belgrade, and its only too successful efforts to set Serbia and Bulgaria by the ears, intensified the excitement and resentment among its Yugoslav subjects.

In the preceding spring Serbia had driven back the Austrian armies out of her territory; but now a fresh Austrian invasion was imminent, and Bulgaria was plainly bent on revenging herself for her disasters of 1913 by preparing to attack Serbia in the flank.

Two days later, Venizelos made an important statement in the Greek Chamber, declaring that, if Bulgaria attacked Serbia, she would have to face the Greek army as well.

Between Bosnia and Servia; 1 The English-speaking races alone write this word with a v instead of a b, Servia for Serbia; a practice resented by the Serbs, as suggesting the derivation of their name from the Latin Servus.

Already Serbia had drawn her western forces into the Ovche Polye area, to dispute possession of the debatable region which Bulgaria claimed, and the II.